BRITISH FARMERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22119, 27 May 1935, Page 12

BRITISH FARMERS

Sir, —Mr. Thomas, the Dominions Secretary, is reported to have said in a speech at which the Dominion Prime Ministers were present, that there was such a thing as British agriculture and British farmers who must bave first consideration, implying that the Dominion farmers were outside this description. Who are the farmers of New Zealand ? Were they not originally from Devon or Surrey, Carmarthen or Argvle? Are not their names Smith, Brown or Robinson? In fact they are brothers and cousins of the English yeoman, speaking the same good English, and proud to call Old England Home. Did they not stand shoulder to shoulder with the English yeomanry on Gallipoli, on a madcap adventure in the planning of which they had no say, and have they not during the short span of eighty years by indomitable pluck and hard work, hewn out of New Zealand bush two grass grown isles comparable to that of any English shire; built towns, bridges, railways etc., with British capital and material, employed British ships and stipulated that British, and not foreign crews, be employed? These are the men who ask not for equal treatment with the English farmer, but for the next consideration, and not to be placed on equality with foreigners* be they Danes, Argentinians or others. 0 for a Seddon or a Massev to be able to put these things before the Thomases of the Old Country, the men who never go beyond their own iand or look beyond their own mean streets. It is a tragedy that such a man as Thomas should hold a position as Dominions Secretary, but even more so that we have no one to correct him, and when he speaks about British farmers to reply: "Aren't we all." H. J. Hutchtngs.